Islamabad : Today is International Youth Day (August 12), which gives an opportunity to celebrate and mainstream young peoples’ voices, actions and initiatives, as well as their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement. The commemoration will take the form of a podcast-style discussion that is hosted by youth for youth, together with independently organised commemorations around the world that recognise the importance of youth participation in political, economic and social life and processes.
Pakistan is also going to celebrate the day with special discussions; events and activities. This year’s IYD seeks to put the spotlight on youth engagement through the following three interconnected streams: engagement at the local/community level; engagement at the national level (formulation of laws, policies, and their implementation); and engagement at the global level. This year, the theme, ‘Youth Engagement for Global Action’ seeks to highlight “the ways in which the engagement of young people at the local, national and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as draw lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal institutional politics can be significantly enhanced.